For the next few months, it’s all about the outdoor track & field season as our MA athletes look to achieve PRs, individual and/or team titles this spring on the state level and, for some, even beyond the borders. Who are some of the top individuals we should keep an eye on this spring? Here we preview what we consider some of the best in the boys’ throwing events.
SHOT
Collectively, it would be safe to say that this past winter was one of the best seasons we’ve had in the shot in the history of the state. Nearly two dozen athletes tossed the metal ball 50 feet or more. To be more exact, it was 23 with seven more less than a foot behind the milestone. It truly was an incredible winter inside the circle.
With all this being said, expect another special season in the shot during the outdoor campaign. From last year’s Meet of Champions (MOC), we have four podium finishers that will be returning with Peabody’s Alex Jackson (first), Amherst-Pelham’s Logan Alfandari (fourth), Saint John’s Julian Ragosa (seventh) and Needham’s Charlie Simeone (eighth).
Jackson gets the favorite nod, and for good reason. The Tanner senior is not only the defending champion, he also has won the last two indoor crowns. Jackson, who was also the New England titlist this winter and was third at the New Balance Nationals, is the only athlete that has exceeded 60 feet. He did it in 10 of the 11 meets he competed in during indoor with an all-time best 66-6.25. After achieving his PR in the first meet of the season, Jackson experienced somewhat of a slump, at least by his standards, with a bunch of efforts in the low 60-foor range before recapturing his touch with strong performances at the New England’s (64-9.25) and New Balance (65-3.5). That late-season success could go a long way in regaining his confidence to excel in his specialty in his final few months his high-school career. Look for Jackson, who has an outdoor best of 61-5 from last year’s MOC, to continue his dominance this spring against his MA rivals and prosper in the postseason. A state record is also possible. The current record is 67-10.75 by Seekonk’s Jeff Chakouian from 2000. Hopedale’s Ari Levine, Lunenburg’s Ray Beardmore, Shrewsbury’s Darius Gibbons and Attleboro’s Noah Williams, who all went 55-plus this past indoor season, should be challenging for those top positions on the podium, too. Beardmore finished second to Jackson at the MOC back in late February with his current best of 56-9.5. Levine was third at the MOC and achieved his all-time best of 57-6.75 to win the Coaches Invitational Small School meet midway into the season. He was ninth at the MOC last spring. No doubt he’ll be focused on improving that placement substantially this time around.
JAVELIN
The overwhelming favorite here is Chelmsford’s Gable Gray. As a sophomore last spring, Gray hurled the metal spear a PR of 206-3 to win his specialty at the Andover Boosters Invitational. He had a few other near 200-footers, taking first at the Weston Twilight with a 199-4 effort and winning the Div. 2 crown at 198-1. He was sixth at the New Balance Nationals with a heave of 190-8. Gray did not compete in the javelin at the MOC, an event won by returning senior Matthew St. Cyr of Walpole with a best of 191-10. St. Cyr appears to be the biggest threat to Gray in an event dominated by seniors last year. This event also features Algonquin’s Miles Lipka, who won the Pentathlon title at the recent New Balance Nationals. Lipka had a best of 167-8. Something to keep note is the state record in this event. The current mark is 217-11 by Somerset’s Kyle Quinn from 2010. We’ll probably know early in the season if that 15-year-old record will be within reach of Gray.
DISCUS
Could this year’s MOC be twice as nice for Jackson? It was last year as the Peabody senior claimed the discus crown in addition to his title in the shot. Jackson won the event with a distance of 173-6, which was just about three feet short of his all-time best of 176-4 from the Division 2 meet a week earlier. Just to name a few, Lawrence’s Argenis Lucia (170-2), Dedham’s Jayden Brown (169-8), Alfandari (168-2), and Malden’s Chalais Saintil (165-0) are among others that could be in the mix.
